Competitive Business Fund

Applications for Round Two of the Competitive Business Fund are now closed. To view a list of Round Two grant recipients visit the Premier's Website.

Introduction and aims

The Competitive Business Fund is a Victorian Government initiative to assist businesses to take maximum advantage of new opportunities that are emerging in the global economy.

The Fund supports growing and competitive businesses with the potential to move into new markets, to develop processes and solutions, or to invest further in their business in order to enhance competitiveness and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

Funding in the order of $3 million is available in the second round of grants on a competitive basis.

Nature and level of assistance

The Fund provides two streams of financial assistance on a co-contribution basis:

• Enterprise - up to $250,000 for a project involving one company, to be matched by a minimum of  $3 for every $1 granted; and
• Supply Chain - up to $500,000 for a collaborative project involving multiple companies, to be matched by a minimum of $2 for every $1 granted.

Where a project involves multiple organisations, the lead organisation submits the application and is subject to the financial risk assessment. All participating organisations will be subject to probity checks.

Funding may be used for:

• Investments that increase a company or supply chain’s productivity and competitiveness including, for example:
  • purchase/upgrades of plant and equipment or technology
  • upgrades to existing infrastructure
  • improvement/enhancement of capabilities or skills
  • adoption of new processes
  • development of an innovative product, process or market that will generate broader benefits to the community
  • mergers and acquisitions that will create sustainable growth-oriented entities
• Collaborative projects among multiple businesses that facilitate greater business growth
• Demonstration projects where knowledge is shared across industry, which leads to significant productivity improvement.

Assistance will not be provided for normal "business as usual" operations, such as meeting payroll commitments, for payment of redundancies or for organic growth.

	Competitive Business Fund - Program Guidelines (PDF 200Kb)
	Download the Competitive Business Fund Program Guidelines

	Competitive Business Fund - Flyer (PDF 1Mb)
	Click here for further information about the Competitive Business Fund

	Competitive Business Fund - Client Report & Evaluation Form (PDF 169Kb)
	Grant recipients will be required to report on the project outcomes detailed in this report and evaluation form. This form will be provided by an assigned DBI Client Manager at the completion of the funded project.

Round One Case Studies

Read case studies from grant recipients of the Competitive Business Fund

Contact

For enquiries regarding the Competitive Business Fund or problems with file downloads please contact the Victorian Business Line (VBL) on 13 22 15.